Unsubscribe [All] a New Year Resolution to Get Behind

It might be worth thinking how you can stop information overload happening in your personal email

On an average day I must receive about two dozen emails.

Throughout the day my phone will ping to notify me of the latest news that is coming in.

Unfortunately because I get so many meaningless emails I’ve become blind to the content as a response to information overload, and many will not be read.

As of today I have 5234 unread emails, with some of the oldest ones pre-dating back to 2021, around about the time I had my last inbox clear out.

I’m currently down to 2,664 emails which has taken me about 30 minutes to do, which I admit does include clicking into some emails to decide if they are still relevant or if I should unsubscribe.

Emails range from Google Alert Notifications, YouGov Surveys, “Urgent” tax rebate response needed, to a variety of shops I’ve made one purchase with in my lifetime, and some how this has added me to a mailing list (I love my recent new computer purchase, but come on guys I don’t need email offers to buy any more!)

Of course a lot of this noise is mostly my own fault, so often would I be browsing someone’s website or social media account and I would lured in by an offer:

“Sign-up to the mailing list, and receive my FREE Guide that will [HELP/KILL/DOMINATE/WIN] the [Some want or desire]”

The end result that the desired guide that would solve all your problems would be a crap 10 page pdf in size 16 font with double line spacing that you can skim read in 30 seconds.

It’s been pretty harmless as I just now and again unsubscribe from a few I realise I’ve not read in a while (or ever), and have a big purge of the masses amount of trash clogging up my virtual mailbox.

That was until this morning when I realised the constant stream of promotional offers and “Important updates” made me over look some actual important emails.

So I decided to change my approach:

• Unsubscribe from as many unnecessary mailing lists as possible,
• Block and get emails in the junk folder for those malicious emails that ignore unsubscribe requests,
• Use folders to keep the important stuff,
• Start 2024 with Inbox Zero – no emails

2024 – Inbox Zero

As we soon introduce 2024, you’ll start hearing a lot of talk about New Years Resolutions.

Although I can’t comment on what you should be doing more or less of to make your life a bit better , or predict your ability to stick with it and make a positive change beyond January, I can give you an idea of a new year resolution to get behind.

2023 saw a lot of discussion around how people were feeling overwhelmed from the negativity of social media, in a recent post I outlined some of these challenges, and talked about the more comforting, familiar advantages of blogging to read information, but a space that is even more secure is your email inbox.

But with the proliferation of pointless newsletters, updates and marketing circulars, it can easily become a space that would leave you overwhelmed, and burnt out if you’re trying to keep up with everything you receive.

To avoid this information overload, I challenge you going into 2024 to get back to an Inbox Zero by:

1. Unsubscribing from ALL mailing lists that aren’t doing you any favours,
2. Keeping on top of your emails by actioning, unsubscribing, or moving to a folder,
3. Give yourself an email refresh – delete everything remaining in your main inbox if you have not managed to achieve point 2,
4. Aim to have your personal emails achieving inbox zero – no pointless emails at the end of every week that you’d never read anyway.

By doing this you get the opportunity of seeing more of what you want, and getting those true important emails that people send you.

(You can read my alternative take on managing work emails, where I believe striving to get everything done every week is not healthy, and you shouldn’t necessarily pressure yourself into inbox zero. Read here: You’re Approach Tasks Wrong)

I wrote this post to give me a break from the insanity of getting order in an out of control Gmail account, now back to it!

Wishing you the best in your success,

James @Perfect Manifesto